FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a gasification device for gasifying, with hydrogen, water which is conducted in a subsystem of a technical installation.
Subsystems wherein water is conducted are provided in a multiplicity of technical installations, for example, in chemical manufacturing plants, as well as in nuclear or fossil-fuel operated power stations. A subsystem of this general type may be a cooling circuit or a circulation path for a working medium, for example. It may be necessary, for various reasons, to gasify with hydrogen or oxygen the water which is conducted in such a subsystem.
On the one hand, for example, a high oxygen concentration in the water which is conducted in the subsystem leads to corrosion of components or tubes in the subsystem. This can be suppressed by gasifying the water with hydrogen, because the hydrogen which is added to the water combines with the excess oxygen and thus reduces the oxygen concentration in the water.
Also when the subsystem is a primary cooling circuit of a pressurized water reactor of a nuclear power station, gasification with hydrogen is usually provided for the water which is conducted as cooling medium in this pressurized water reactor. In this case, the intention is thereby to counteract radiolytic decomposition of the medium flowing in the cooling circuit.
On the other hand, however, gasification with oxygen of the water which is conducted in a subsystem of a technical installation may also be necessary. This requirement arises, for example, in the case of a sewage treatment or clarification installation wherein the oxygen is added to the water for purification purposes.
A gas injection system is usually provided for gasifying, with hydrogen or oxygen, water which is conducted in such a subsystem. In this regard, a gas reservoir is usually connected via a pipe system to the subsystem to be supplied with hydrogen or oxygen, this reservoir being used to store a hydrogen and oxygen reserve, respectively. Such a gas injection system usually, however, includes a multiplicity of components, such as storage containers, pipelines or safety devices, for example, and is thus complex and susceptible to failure. Such an injection system for hydrogen must also be regularly checked for leakages, particularly due to possible formation of explosive gas mixtures if any hydrogen emerges or escapes from the injection system.